Phyllis C. Brown and Cheryl A. Smith - Travel as Transformation

A Cuban Experience in Education

Introduction

Travel is broadening. It can also be transformative. To that end, Lesley
University has developed a series of study/travel trips, one of which is to
Cuba. The purpose of this presentation is to explore the power of place as
text for the participants in the January 2002 trip to Cuba, addressing the
issue of transformative learning in a specific context. Representative group
members are highlighted as they discuss the nature of their learning from their
own perspectives. Video clips from post-trip reflection interviews conducted
11 months after travel are used in a PowerPoint presentation to illustrate
their experiences with their learning. The data collected through the
interviews as well as reflection papers from the students was examined to see
whether and to what extent transformative learning occurred as a result of
this travel trip and if so what kinds of transformations were evident.

Themes
did emerge that provide evidence for change as a result of the trip. The
implications for practice regarding the value of non-classroom based teaching
through travel, highlighting the power of place as an instructional technique
for advancing the understanding of political, social and cultural contexts
are examined. In addition, the benefits for professional development of adult
educators, the use of multi-media for data collection, analysis and
presentation are discussed. Finally, questions raised as a result of the
research that are intended to advance understanding of transformative learning
theory on individual, group and societal levels are presented.

Setting the Context

Lesley University has developed a series of
study/travel trips for students, faculty, staff, alumni and community
partners. One of the recent and most powerful is "The Cuban Experience in
Education and the Arts." In 2000, the president of Lesley University Margaret
McKenna traveled to Cuba with a delegation of college presidents led by
Congressman James McGovern of Boston for the purpose of exploring the
possibility of engaging North Americans and Cubans in a mutually beneficial
educational relationship. A university license that enabled Lesley to travel
to Cuba with members of the Lesley community as well as participants from the
wider community was obtained in 2000 and the first trip took place in January
2001. Since the 2001 inaugural trip, approximately 150 students, faculty
members, administrators and community partners have traveled to Cuba with the
university.

According to President McKenna, the value of the trip
for Lesley students is to enable them to become more aware of culture and its
impact, to become critical thinkers and to value diversity as they move
forward as educated, informed citizens of the world. The trips also provided a
means of enhancing a sense of community in a more global sense, providing a
cultural mirror through which the US worldview was reflected.

The
purpose of this presentation is to explore the power of place as text for the
participants in the January 2002 trip, addressing the issue of transformative
learning in a specific context. The experience of traveling to a controversial
country for the express purpose of learning was captured in the participants'
own voices.

Theoretical Frame

The overarching theoretical
frame of analysis used is Mezirow's transformative theory of adult learning,
which has as its core perspective transformation (1991). The theory "makes
sense of how adults learn to change their frames of reference (Mezirow, 2000,
p. xiv) and its focus is on how adults learn to negotiate and act on their
own. Since the generally accepted definition of learning in adulthood is that
adults make meaning of their experiences, then the theory holds that they do
this by becoming critically aware of their own tacit beliefs and assumptions
and those of others who help them assess the validity of those assumptions.
Mezirow defines learning as the "process of using prior interpretation to
construe new or revised interpretations of one's experience as a guide for
future action (2000, p. 5).

If learning is making meaning of
experience and the desired outcomes of transformative learning is "...to make
them (learners and teachers) more inclusive, discriminating open, emotionally
capable of change and reflective so they may generate beliefs and
opinions...that will guide action (Mezirow, 2000, p. 8) then travel is an
immediately felt experience that enhances learning on many levels.

That
learning can be intentional, incidental or mindlessly assimilative. The role
of experiential learning or the express purpose of learning by doing or by
being there in the case of travel can enhance and accelerate the transformative
process.

Transformational learning in adulthood has traditionally
been focused on the individual and has been criticized as such for failing to
acknowledge the role of context, political, social and cultural on individual
change and vice versa. Recent iterations of the theory, based in part on the
outcomes of previous transformative learning conferences, have prompted
Mezirow to address the importance of new understandings promoted by critical
reflection on context based-assumptions. For the purposes of this
presentation, the core elements of the theory used to identify elements of
transformative learning and its context-driven process are place as the
"trigger" event, disorienting dilemmas, critical reflection, change in
perspectives and action that followed that change (Mezirow, 2000).

Given the political and economic issues attendant in the US/Cuban
relationship, it is not surprising that all of the participants, while having
the common purpose of learning also came on the trip with their own particular
expectations and with their own unique biases that would come to be
challenged on the trip. It is also true that each viewed their experiences
through different lenses, had different responses to, events and places and
had their own stories to tell within the larger story of the Cuban
experience.

The Trip

The trip to Cuba took place from
January 4 to January 14, 2002. Thirty participants went, including the two
faculty leaders. The group was comprised of students, both graduate and
undergraduate, alumni, administrators and community partners. Interestingly,
five adult children of faculty, including the President's son, went on the
trip. The composition of the group was impressive in terms of its diversity
along many dimensions, including age, race, ethnicity, gender and profession.
The differences among the travelers enhanced the vibrancy and discourse in
this very purposeful learning community and as will be seen later, enhanced
the richness of the learning experiences of each individual.

The
Study/Travel trip enabled the Lesley students to take the trip for credit;
those who did so had to follow the curriculum that included pre-trip reading, a
journal that was kept throughout the trip, post-trip reflection papers and a
research project of their choice. Of the 6 students who attended, 5 took the
trip for credit. The one student who did not take the trip for credit did keep
a journal for her own purposes. Students came from several schools within the
university including the Adult Baccalaureate College , the School of Education
and the School for Interdisciplinary Inquiry. PPD or CEU credits were offered
for teachers and two Boston public school employees took advantage of that
opportunity. All group members were given background reading material and
resources, including websites, prior to the trip. Two Orientation sessions were
also held before travel, giving the participants the opportunity to meet each
other as well as ask questions.

The Video

Five participants
were used in the PowerPoint presentation that included video clips of
post-trip reflection interviews. They were chosen because they represented
diversity in terms of age, race, ethnicity and perspectives. Three students
were presented as their main purpose for going was to enhance their learning
while obtaining credit for the experience. A faculty member on her third trip
and a community partner of Cuban descent were also presented because their
perspectives added value to our understanding of travel as transformation.

A semi-structured interview guide based on Brookfield 's critical
classroom incident was used to direct the post-trip reflection interviews. The
answers given were evidence of disorienting dilemmas, critical reflection,
changed perspectives and action taken, the core elements of the theory used
as a conceptual frame of analysis. Each interview lasted approximately 30
minutes. A description of the participants presented in the video follow and
includes a statement felt to epitomize their most significant learning.

The People Who Traveled to Cuba Speak about their Experiences

Kris is an Adult Baccalaureate College (ABC) student majoring in
American studies and minoring in elementary education. Her educational goal
is to become a middle school social studies teacher. She will graduate from
Lesley in 2004. In her self-evaluation/reflection journal Kris wrote: " Some
of my most powerful learning came from listening and observing Cuban
people... I can only speak for myself, but I never realized that I have such
an imperialistic attitude towards life...What did I learn in Cuba? I guess one
way to answer this question is that I have a lot to learn about the world and
why different societies feel the way they do about us."

Carol is also
an ABC student and Ted is her partner. He is a software engineer and a
part-time blues musician. Carol graduated in May 2003 and will begin teaching
in an elementary school in September. They were interviewed together however
most of the focus is on Carol and her student experience. "Prior to our trip,
I thought Cuba was a dangerous place. Why? Because people I cared about and
trusted told me it was...This trip was one of the most powerful and emotional
journeys that I have ever been on... I am truly grateful to have been able to
expand my knowledge and understanding of such an 'unknown' country and look
forward to learning more now that I have a foundation to build on." Ted spoke
directly to the political situation that colored his underlying assumptions
and expectations about Cubans' reactions to Americans.

Susanna is a
Latina woman of Chilean descent. She graduated in May 2003 with a Master's
Degree in Intercultural Relations. Her reasons for going to Cuba were
two-fold: to increase her knowledge of her own Latin roots and to combine
this personal quest with her academic pursuits. Since returning from the trip,
she realized she hears and sees things pertaining to Cuba differently. She
pays attention now to news clippings, TV reports and books with a different
view since she has been there and states: "I am now connected to Cuba."

Dolores is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Lesley College , the
traditional college of the university. Matthew is a speech pathologist in the
Boston Public schools. This trip was Dolores' third and Matthew's second.
Dolores' research area is Afro-Cuban life, especially the Santeria religious
practices. Matthew's research is focused on how children with special needs,
especially those with speech and hearing problems, educated in Cuba.

Matthew's interest in going to Cuba was purely political as he doubted
that the information he was getting from the media about Cuba was accurate.
He felt there were stories there to be told about how people were living and
surviving in a way that needed to be brought to light. Dolores talked about
how she has brought her learning and new perspectives back to her classroom:"
I teach cross-cultural psychology and... assign the chapter on Cuba to her
students" using her firsthand experiences to guide and inform the
discussions.

Marita is a Boston resident of Cuban descent and a
community partner on this trip. She is the Vice President for public radio
and the Chair of the Board of the Afro-American Museum in Boston . Marita
came to Cuba because of the influence of her father who was born there and
her paternal grandmother who visited from Cuba . She was interested in going
to see Cuba for herself. She came away with a more textured understanding of
Cuba , for example understanding the educational system with more depth as it
plays out in day-to-day life. She has gained a "flesh and blood" perspective
on life and people in Cuba that is different from the "cardboard picture"
obtained from the news and films. She understands now that culture is always
with you and that although she had never been there before Cuban culture is a
part of her.

Analysis of the Data

Travel to Cuba in the post-
September 11th era made for many disorienting dilemmas, thus the trip itself
was the trigger event in the transformative learning process. Habits of mind
and points of view changed. Assumptions were examined as critical reflection
took place both in and on action. The data collected was examined to see
whether and to what extent transformative learning occurred as a result of
this travel trip and if so what kinds of transformations were evident.

Several themes became immediately apparent in all of the 11 interviews
conducted. Even though, as previously stated, everyone came with their own
agendas, expectations and goals, commonalities far outweighed the individual
differences. One consistent theme was surprise at the openness and warmth of
the Cubans towards Americans, indicating a change in perspective from their
unexamined assumptions about how the Cuban people would perceive and react to
them. Another common realization was the importance of the Literacy Campaign
as a national achievement, changing their perspectives about how governments
can impact empowerment and social reform if there is a collective will to do
so. Finally, meeting and talking with Cubans, discourse, was reported by
almost everyone as being the best part of their learning. All stated they
would take action based on their learning. Types of actions either taken or
planned include listening more critically to news reports and other people's
opinions about Cuba , sharing information about their trip, learning Spanish,
continuing research, using material in their classrooms and going back to
Cuba.

Implications for Practice

The value of travel as
transformation has implications for the practice of teaching and learning in
adult education. For example, the one of the "hooks" or enhancements for the
Lesley students was the ability to use the trip as the basis for earning
credits while providing them with an opportunity to experience learning in a
unique setting. The university's granting of credit validated this type of
non-classroom learning. Other pertinent aspects of teaching and learning in
higher education in this model of adult education is to use it to build
connections and community in its broadest sense and to emphasize the
criticality of context and multiple perspectives in this increasingly volatile
global village.

An additional aspect of travel as transformation is
related to professional development of adult educators, including our own
transformation as travelers, the use of multi-media in teaching and the impact
of that learning on educators. The process of videotaping the journey and the
post-journey interviews raised questions for us as we examined them through
the lens of transformation theory. Coming to the theory from different
perspectives, we discussed questions that we now raise together to challenge
and expand the theory: If action is not taken or demonstrated immediately but
is only planned, can we say that transformative learning took place as a
result of the journey? What exactly is meant by action and how is that action
assessed as an indication of transformative learning? Was the trip
transformative only individually? Did the group evidence collective
transformation impacted by relationship of the members with each other in this
setting? Does the members' new views and perspectives about Cuba have an
impact on their families, workplaces and communities such that they trigger
transformative learning on a much wider collective and community level?

Given that this group of people who chose to go to Cuba were at least
curious and at best already questioning the information received about it, the
overarching question is raised: Did travel to Cuba truly result in
transformative learning for the participants?

Funding for this project
was made possible with a Lesley University Faculty Technology Grant

References

Cranton, P. (1996). Professional development as
transformative learning: New perspectives for teachers of adults. San
Francisco : Jossey-Bass.

Contact Us

Phyllis C. Brown, Ed.D., is an Assistant Professor of
Curriculum and Instruction in the Lesley University Graduate School of
Education.

Cheryl Smith

Cheryl A. Smith,
Ed.D., is an Associate Professor in the Adult Learning Division of the
Undergraduate College of Lesley University. She received a B.A from Barnard
College, Columbia University; an M.S.W. from Smith College School of Social
Work; and an Ed.D. from Teachers College, Columbia University. As an Adult
Educator, her research and professional interests are in the areas of adult
learning, adult development, program planning and evaluation and qualitative
research. Her own area of research is focused on women entrepreneurs from the
African diaspora, past, present and future with an interdisciplinary approach
that looks at the intersection of adult education, Black women's studies,
history and their intersection.

This multidisciplinary approach also takes
into account the broader fields of women's studies, including the areas of
women's economic history, business and small business management and
understands the impact of race, ethnicity, social class and gender on those
disciplines. She also works to widen the lens of inquiry into all areas by
acknowledging the importance of context: social, cultural, historical,
political and economic, in both research and practice.

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